Seroquel Support Group

[[Buddie]]

Hi:

I decided to start this group because I know many people are on that evil Seroquel. I have been on 200 mg for more than a year. He first tried 25, 50, 100, 150 with no luck. I simply cannot sleep without it. I went through 10 months of no seroquel at the beginning of my K taper and in all of these months, I slept no more than 3-4 hours a night. It finally drew me to the edge of a cliff where I didn't want to live anymore.

I could not think, drive and wanted so badly to nap but my body was all revved up. Finally, my anti-med pdoc put me on it. I knew in advance it was a bad drug, so I'm not making any excuses. I just would do anything at that point~~except for benzos~~ to sleep again. And I did and I am. My pdoc said I won't have any trouble tapering off it because he won't permit me to do so until I am healed from my benzos. He said those trying to taper off it w/o having healed are the ones who get into trouble. I know he is very good but whether I believe him or not has yet to be determined. He never took it so how would he know? I tried once knocking off 12.5 mg, and could not sleep for 7 days and gave up and reinstated. I paced all night.

So this little thread, which I hope will grow, is talking anything about Seroquel and even people taking another type of an AP are welcome too. We can exchange ideas, offer support, talk about our problems or just bitch about it. Who's next?

[...]

[[Buddie]]

Just curious, were you already off Klonopin when you tried cutting Seroquel? I find Valium sedating so I took the bulk of my dose and eventually all of my dose at bedtime. Maybe you could try cutting Seroquel a bit again and move more of your Valium dosing to bedtime at the same time?

[[Buddie]]

I guess everybody is different... I have been on it for a week now and it works like a charm in knocking me out for 6-7 hours. I take 25 mgs.
It doesn't make me feel tired during the day at all nor makes me dumb.
I wish it could be more helpful for anxiety! It just seems to wean off after a while.

I'm tapering Klonopin off too. Insomnia was the reason I originally took it so I guess ill have to work on it once I stop it.
Sorry to hear about your experience, at the moment I need it for sleeping and I used Trazodone before switching to it. It provides me some sleep while Trazodone some nights didn't work for no apparent reason.

[[Buddie]]

Just curious, were you already off Klonopin when you tried cutting Seroquel? I find Valium sedating so I took the bulk of my dose and eventually all of my dose at bedtime. Maybe you could try cutting Seroquel a bit again and move more of your Valium dosing to bedtime at the same time?

I tried tapering it while I was tapering the K. But the K didn't matter as I was paradoxical to it, so for me, less was better. When I told my pdoc about it, he got kind of angry, saying don't drop two drugs at the same time! He is hell bent on getting me off benzos first. My last cut of V was a tad larger than previous cuts. I normally feel the effects between 6-9 days and then back to baseline. My normal symptom is not bad, just not very good sleep. This time around, this is my 17th day of cutting, and I haven't been able to sleep at all. I don't know whether it was the cut itself or I am now feeling the cuts from two months ago, as they too were a larger cut than normal. I was never sensitive to any benzo cuts at all, but this Valium is a real stinker!

[...]

[[Buddie]]

Thanks for starting this, [...].

I'm on Q for sleep, too. Like [...], it was take it or die from lack of sleep. Now I am trying to reduce it to see how low I can get and still sleep. I'd like to get to half the tablet. Then I will go back to reducing my L.

I have been having terrible neuropathy for over a week and I'm wondering if anyone else has had this symptom from trying to taper Seroquel.

[...]

[[Buddie]]

Cutting those pills is almost impossible, especially if you get the tiny 25 mgs one! Also, the compound in insoluble in water and this makes liquid tritation problematic as well.

Sleep is the only reason I started it as well...

I'm sorry to hear you all are struggling with it, I know how it feels like, but I think when it comes to heal GABA receptors sleeping properly is essential, even if this involves using another psychodrug. Sleeping is essential to heal your body in general and of course, preserve your sanity!

[[Buddie]]

Hey [...]:

Thanks for those pics. Mine would be on the top right corner. I'd hate to be on the top left corner. 200 mg is too much anyway, but lower doses did not work at all. I wonder if you can MT it, w/o using a compounding pharmacy. I hate those.

((((Hey [...] and welcome aboard. We need ppl like you!))))

[...]

[[Buddie]]

Hey [...]:

Thanks for those pics. Mine would be on the top right corner. I'd hate to be on the top left corner. 200 mg is too much anyway, but lower doses did not work at all. I wonder if you can MT it, w/o using a compounding pharmacy. I hate those.

((((Hey [...] and welcome aboard. We need ppl like you!))))

[...]

I'm sorry to hear you're not sensitive to low doses of the drug. It's a shame because at 200 mgs it may have some antipsychotics effect and affect your serotonin/dopamine receptors as well. This may not be the case, it just depends on your sensitivity to the drug. When used for insomnia is supposed to act only on adrenaline and histamine... and maybe a little bit on serotonin! I also read antihistamines like Benadryl didn't work for you, so maybe since low-doses of Seroquel are basically like strong antihistamines you just don't respond well to this category of compouds...

[[Buddie]]

Hey [...]:

Thanks for those pics. Mine would be on the top right corner. I'd hate to be on the top left corner. 200 mg is too much anyway, but lower doses did not work at all. I wonder if you can MT it, w/o using a compounding pharmacy. I hate those.

((((Hey [...] and welcome aboard. We need ppl like you!))))

[...]

I'm sorry to hear you're not sensitive to low doses of the drug. It's a shame because at 200 mgs it may have some antipsychotics effect and affect your serotonin/dopamine receptors as well. This may not be the case, it just depends on your sensitivity to the drug. When used for insomnia is supposed to act only on adrenaline and histamine... and maybe a little bit on serotonin! I also read antihistamines like Benadryl didn't work for you, so maybe since low-doses of Seroquel are basically like strong antihistamines you just don't respond well to this category of compouds...

Hi:

I know that but don't feel that way. I asked my pdoc about this high dose, and he said some people need an even higher dose and in my case, since I am not sensitive to drugs at all, it will work as a sleep aid. The thing about the Q is that it makes you fall asleep, while not making you stay asleep. The Traz does the opposite. So I take both. I may regret this mess I am in. Valium is bad enough for me. And the K taper was so easy. I should have done a direct taper.

[...]

[[Buddie]]

Hi all and thanks again [...] for starting this group.   

I am on Seroquel 25mgs since last March 2015. I went on it basically because I just was in bits after a failed crossover from Xanax to Valium. One of the worst medication experiences of my life. I could not sleep , eat , I was I hell with physical pain. Presently , I am down to 3.125 mgs. I started tapering it in February 2016. I am on the small orange colour tablet in the photo above and yes its tiny. I dry cut it with a pill cutter. Its a fiddly crumbly job but it is manageable. The lower I go it definitely becomes even more sedating. It is a strange med and doez act like an antihistamine in these low doses.

As I tapered the symptoms I noticed that increase are :

Headaches for sure. But they do go away after a few days after the cut.
A little nausea.
Dizzy spells/head swirls. Much improved.
Paresthesia has increased but I have had this on and off for over two and half years. Burning.
Muscle twitching - much increased. Like bubbles popping under my skin..
Some electric shocks. Much improved now
Neuropathy - continues for now. I have had this for two over two and half years . Increases with Seroquel withdrawal.
Bloating - known with Seroquel.
Some itching. Crawling type sensation.


Symptoms slightly decreasing :

Muscle stiffness/ pain -  it varies on a daily basis. Backpain,  legpain. Buttock pain Mostly left sided.
Nerve pain

Symptoms much better :

My sleeping has become a lot more solid. Less waking up , no night eating.
Less anxiety.
Less irritability.
I can think clearer.
Eyes less foggy.
Concentration is getting better.
Less noise and light sensitively.
Less constipation.
Appetite is better - eating healthy.
I can exercise a little more but it's gonna take more time.  Benzos wiped me out . The physical pain of withdrawal and being on different combination of meds has taken its toll on these muscles and nerves of mine.


If I think of more I will add them in later.

This is just my experience with this pup of a medication.  It certainly knocked me out at 25mgs and probably (definitely) has added on a longer road for me as regards the healing process.  I am very very close to jumping and its been a long long road. Three and a half years of withdrawl. I am 15 months off my last benzo tomorrow .  I have tapered off 11/12 medications.      . 

I am wondering whether or not I have healed somewhat even with a layer of this medication Seroquel ? ...
Anyone with any thoughts on this ? .

So very close now .